John to play football!

doweshowbellyad=0; John Abraham (TOI photo) More picsShah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta, forget cricket and look at soccer instead.
That���s what John Abraham is doing. The Bollywood hunk is excited that the UEFA Euro 2008 is kickstarting this Sunday in Austria with eight teams ��� Spain, Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Czech Republic and Croatia ��� providing some adrenaline-pumping, kick-ass action.���I���m a football fanatic,��� says the ESPN STAR Sports��� soccer brand ambassador, ���and if I���m not shooting, then I will definitely catch the action live on a big screen here.���
He is rooting for Germany. ���This team, led by Michael Ballack, has spark, and is contrary to the earlier German team which was pretty boring. They have every chance of lifting the trophy,��� predicts Bollywood���s shy sportsman. Does he hang out with the guys to watch soccer? ���It doesn���t matter whether I���m alone or with friends. I watched the semi-finals of the English Premiere League with Abhishek Bachchan in Miami where we were shooting for Dostana,��� reveals John.
His last film Goal gave John the opportunity to display his soccer skills. ���Someone remarked that I looked quite convincing as a player in the film. Well, I am one,��� says the actor whose kicks and head-butts would have made Cristiano Ronaldo himself proud. ���People ask me if whether I still play soccer. I used to do these things even before I got into acting. I���m passionate about bikes and soccer, films is just an extension of my passion.��� He has watched all the World Cups gone by and been to Berlin for the edition where Itlay beat France in 2006. ���I must have been five when my dad used to wake me up in the middle of the night to watch World Cup matches,��� reminisces John, who���s now counting the days for Euro 2008 to begin.
So has he booked his tickets to Austria? ���No. I can���t go there, though I���m all charged up and how!��� says John, who doesn���t mind staying up all night to watch the matches and risk getting dark circles the morning after too.